Sheridan Gardens, a San Diego-based detoxification and recovery program, recently appointed, Dr. Chris Small as its new medical director.

ENCINITAS, Calif., Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Sheridan Gardens, a boutique detoxification and recovery program, announces the appointment of Dr. Chris Small as the facility's new medical director. Based in Encinitas, California, Sheridan Gardens specializes in detox, often viewed as the multi-faceted and challenging stage of recovery. Soon, Sheridan Gardens will be expanding its services and provide residential treatment to its clients.

As the new medical director, Dr. Small is responsible for the administration of medical services and clinical care at Sheridan Gardens. This includes the management and oversight of treatment through the duration of the client's stay.

Doctor Small is board certified in both psychiatry (ABPN) and family medicine (ABFM) and is among a handful of doctors in the U.S. who have completed additional training necessary to treat the full-spectrum of medical and psychiatric illness.

Along the lines of his dual board certification, Dr. Small's approach in treating addiction is based on the idea of mind-body connection—that true healing takes into account both the physical and emotional needs of clients.

"I am proud to be part of the experienced and trained staff of Sheridan Gardens," notes Dr. Small. "Families and clients who turn to Sheridan Gardens for their recovery needs can find comfort in knowing that their treatment plan is especially designed for their own unique medical and psychiatric needs."

Dr. Small completed his residency training at the University of California, San Diego, where he is currently an assistant clinical professor of the Department of Health Sciences. He also continues to work part time as an addiction psychiatrist for the Veterans Administration in La Jolla, California and is co-founding partner of Bold Health, an outpatient clinic specializing in personalized medical, psychiatric and addiction treatment.

"Detox can often be a very dangerous and sometimes fatal phase of addiction recovery, adds Dr. Small. "It is important to choose a detox program that is administered by the right professionals who have the proper training and experience to manage the symptoms and administer the appropriate care to ensure a successful and complete detoxification."

About Sheridan Gardens

Sheridan Gardens provides detoxification and recovery treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Located in Encinitas, California, Sheridan Gardens offers a serene and quiet setting that facilitates the recovery process. Aside from 24-hour care and supervision during detox, other services include group and individual therapy, after care planning, and soon residential treatment.

"It is when you have a crisis that you have to change. A crisis means you have to approach the problem with extraordinary completeness."- J. Krishnamurti

It’s very common to hear the adage, “you have to want to stay clean and sober for yourself,” in the addiction recovery circles. Many people say this because they believe that without an intrinsic desire for change no one could really be successful with getting off drugs and alcohol. Ultimately this is true in the long-run, but is it necessary that an individual, upon entering detoxification treatment programs, really want to stop using drugs and alcohol?

We are seeing that many people are entering our detoxification program in Encinitas because they must; not necessarily because they are excited about staying clean and sober from the outset! It’s often out of sheer necessity. The money has run out, physical health is ailing, the family has had an intervention, the spouse threatens divorce; ultimatums of all kinds are imposed. Of course there are also many occasions where someone has made a very wise conscious choice about their life, but usually there is some pressing external circumstance that leads someone to our doors.

Now this isn’t necessarily bad news. Whatever crisis has developed that is significant enough to get them into detox, may even motivate someone to stay sober. We have heard people in long-term recovery say that it was the “angels with flashing red and blue lights” that saved their life by catching them in the last DUI. Very often, however, these realizations develop after a successful detox, rather than before; and it is in hindsight that the recovering person realizes that getting clean and sober was the best thing they’ve ever done for themselves. Part of the very nature of addiction is that people still want to use drugs and alcohol even in the face of dire consequences to their well-being and happiness; thus to suggest from the beginning that they have to want it for themselves is partially erroneous.

We believe that it doesn’t matter what motivations people initially have for getting sober provided that they are willing to at least pause to investigate what’s happening in their life. If young woman wants to get off heroin so that she can reach her goals in life, great! If a father want to quit drinking alcohol so that he can be there for his children, great! If an employee has been late or absent from work too many times and needs to sober up in order to keep his job, great! If someone is mandated to sober up to avoid jail-time, great! Regardless of the situation there’s no wrong reasons for making a change.

All kinds of supports are available for individuals and families struggling with addictions. At Sheridan Gardens Wellness we understand that addiction and recovery are not simple processes, and that there are as many ways to recover as there are people in the world. Feel free to CONTACT US if you or a loved one is struggling with addictive substances. We would be happy to help guide you towards resources and information about our detoxification program.